Photographic corners



March 17, 1964 K. ROSE 3,125,460

PHOTOGRAPHIC CORNERS Filed March 15, 1961 8 FIG-5 Q KAYE. L.. Rcsa A'rTouaueYs United States Patent Ofiice 3,125,460 Patented Mar. 17, 1964 3,125,460 PHOTOGRAPHIC CORNERS Kaye L. Rose, 8823 Lanier Drive, Silver Spring, Md. Filed Mar. 13, 1961, Ser. No. 95,413 1 Claim. (Cl. 117-44) The present invention relates to mounting devices and, more particularly, to corners for mounting photographs and similar materials in albums or on pages in general. At present, the more conventional methods for mounting photographs in albums comprise cutting slots in the pages into which the corners of the picture may be inserted or employing folded individual corners which are glued to the sheet and into which the corners of the picture may be inserted. The difiiculty with the former method of mounting is that, since the slots are pre-applied, they originally define the size of the picture which can be mounted between certain slots and this is undesirable since it often prevents grouping of pictures of different sizes on the same page. Also, it materially restricts the size of various prints which may be mounted in a particular album. The second method of mounting photographs as set forth above has the disadvantage, at least in those that are commercially available, that the corners must be individually moistened and further do not bond securely to the page so that, after relatively short intervals, they separate from the page and the pictures become damaged or lost.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided mounting corners for photographs which are easily applied without having to moisten glue and which, once applied to the album, do not readily become detached therefrom. More specifically, the invention contemplates corners fabricated from pressure-sensitive cellophane tape, such as is sold under the trademark Scotch brand, or other tapes having a pressure-sensitive adhesive applied to one side. Equally spaced triangular or other shaped areas of the adhesive material of the tape are either not applied or are covered with a non-adhesive material so that these portions of the tape are not tacky. In employing the invention, the tape is divided into generally equal segments with one non-tacky area per segment. The segments are now applied to a page with a photograph laid thereon so that each non-tacky area is applied over a different corner of the photograph, while the tacky or adhesive portions of the tape contact the page and strongly adhere thereto. In consequence, the corner adheres to the page but not the photograph so that the latter may be readily removed. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, tacky material is laid down on the tape in two continuous strips along the longitudinal edges of the tape so as to provide a continuous non-tacky central portion of thet ape. When such a tape is cut into lengths, the edge portions are tacky and the central portion is non-tacky so that the tape may be employed as stated above for the other embodiments of the invention.

The tape may be bought in the conventional form of rolls mounted on a dispenser having a serrated edge for tearing the tape. The tape may be pulled off the roll and torn against the serrated edge so as to provide predetermined lengths of tape, each of which has a non-tacky area. This provides for convenience in storing the material prior to use and of cutting a short length of the material from the remainder of the tape. This particular method is advantageous in that it conforms with the well-established commercial practices of marketing and the conventional home practice relating to methods of employing such tapes.

It is an object of the present invention to provide corners for mounting photographs or similar materials on pages or in albums in which the corners constitute a cellophane or similar tape having an adhesive material applied thereto and having predetermined and equally spaced regions of the tape either rendered non-tacky or having the tacky material initially omitted during manufacture thereof.

It is another object of the present invention to provide corners for mounting photographs in albums in which predetermined and equally spaced regions of the normally tacky side of the tape are not tacky so that the tape may be cut into equal lengths, each with a non-tacky portion which may be applied over the corner of the photograph.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide mounting corners for photographs and the like which are inexpensive and easily applied and which will remain adhered to the mounting page for extended periods of time.

The above and still further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of several embodiments thereof, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front view of a length of tape which may be cut into several corners for use in mounting photographs;

FIGURE 2 is a top view of the method of mounting a photograph with the corners illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a view of a second embodiment of the present invention illustrating a continuous length of tape which may be cut into a large number of corners for mounting photographs;

FIGURE 4 is a view illustrating the use of the corners of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a view of a third embodiment of the present invention and illustrates a continuous length of tape which may be divided into a number of corners for use in mounting photographs; and

FIGURE 6 is a view illustrating the method of use of the corners provided by the embodiment of FIGURE 5.

Referring to FIGURE 1 of the drawing, there is illus trated a length of cellophane or other adhesive type tape 1 having a tacky material applied to one side thereof. The tacky material is omitted or covered by a non-tacky material at predetermined, equally spaced locations designated by the reference numeral 2. The spaces 2 may be provided during manufacture by employing a roller having one or more triangular indentations disposed about its periphery. The roller is employed to apply the tacky material to one surface of the tape 1 and does not apply the material wherever the roller is indented.

Alternatively, a continuous layer of tacky material may be applied to the tape 1 which is then passed over a further roller having one or more triangular embossments thereon which apply a non-tacky material over the tacky side of the tape.

In use, the tape may be out along the dashed lines 3 so as to provide individual rectangles of tape each having an area 2 thereon.

Referring now specifically to FIGURE 2 of the accompanying drawings, each of the individual lengths of the tape designated by the reference numeral 4 is applied over a different corner of a photograph 6 with the triangular portions 2 overlying the triangular portions of the corners of the photograph. The tacky material engages the page upon which the photograph is to be mounted while the non-tacky portions overlie the photograph so that the photograph may be readily inserted or removed from the page.

It can be seen from FIGURES 1 and 2 that the tape 1 may come in form of a conventional roll of Scotch brand cellophane tape and be employed with the conventional dispenser having a serrated edge for cutting the tape. A length of tape may then be pulled off of the roll and cut, for instance, along one of the lines 3 so as to provide a length of tape as designated by the reference numeral 4 in FIGURE 2. Such a method of dispensing the tape is quite simple and the entire apparatus should cost no more than a conventional dispenser and roll of the commercially available cellophane tapes.

Referring now specifically to FIGURE 3 of the accompanying drawing, there is illustrated a length of cellophane tape 7 having tacky material applied in two strips 8 and 9 along its longitudinally extending edges. This arrangement leaves a center strip 11 uncoated and there fore nn-tacky. In use, the tape may be cut along the dashed lines 12 to provide individual lengths of tape as mounting corners.

Referring specifically to FIGURE 4 of the accompanying drawings, the method of employing the corners provided by the embodiment of FIGURE 3 is illustrated. Specifically, each individual length of tape, designated by the reference numeral13, is applied over a corner of a photograph or similar mechanism 14 so that the center, non-tacky portion 11 of the tape overlies the corners and the tacky portions 8 and 9 thereof engage the page. This embodiment of the present invention is perhaps the simplest and least expensive since only approximately half of the tape 7 is covered with tacky material and the center strip 11 of the tape is merely the underside of the base material.

Referring now specifically to FIGURE of the accompartying drawings, there is illustrated still another embodiment of the present invention. A length of cellophane or similar tape 16 has generally rectangular nontacky portions 17 extending perpendicular to the longitudinal dimension of the tape. These regions may be formed as the regions 2 of the tape 1 illustrated in FIG- URE 1 and the tape may be torn into individual corners along the dashed lines 18.

In use, reference is made specifically to FIGURE 6 of the accompanying drawings, the tape of FIGURE 5 is torn into individual lengths 19 and supplied to the corners of a photograph or similar article 21 so that the nontacky portions 17 overlie the corners of the picture. It can be seen from FIGURE 6 that the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 5 is employed in much the same manner as the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4.

While I have described and illustrated one specific embodiment of my invention, it will be clear that variations of the details of construction which are specifically illustrated and described may be resorted to without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

What I claim is:

An indefinite length of transparent material having a tacky material applied to predetermined regions of one side of said length of material, equally spaced triangular regions of said one side of said length of material being non-tacky, said regions extending to at least one longitudinally extending edge of said length of material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 19,983 Rado May 26, 1936 1,447,750 Bird Mar. 6, 1923 2,170,147 Lane Aug. 22, 1939 2,292,582 Tate Aug. 11, 1942 2,307,406 Howard Jan. 5, 1943 2,531,631 Jordan Nov. 28, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 697,755 Germany Sept. 26, 1940 872,398 France June 5, 1942 960,080 France Apr. 11, 1950 

